I happen to know that most of the changes alleged are purely imaginary. I was born in a Protestant community, of Protestant parents, and was brought up, so far as I was brought up at all, a Presbyterian. At the age of twenty-one I passed from Presbyterianism to what is sometimes called Liberal Christianity, to which, I remained attached, at first under the form of Universalism, afterwards under that of Unitarianism, till the age of forty-one, when I had the happiness of being received into the Catholic Church. Here is the sum total of my changes. I, no doubt, experienced difficulties in defending the doctrines I professed, and I shifted my ground of defence more than once, but not the doctrines themselves. .
“Conviction, not desperation, led me into the Church, and I.have found a thousand times more than I. expected. It is true, in my youth and early manhood I held and published views very different from those set forth in this volume, and this fact will have its weight against whatever I may now say. But it is no crime to grow wiser with years, and to profit by experience or by the grace of God. The deliberate convictions of a man of mature age are worth more than the crude speculations of impetuous and inexperienced youth. But there is nothing in these essays and reviews that rests on my personal authority; they are to be taken for what they are worth, without any reference to the much or little respect due to their author.”
The real character of the man, rugged and sterling, appears most evidently in his fidelity to the Church, in spite of all the opposition of those, who are too easily identified with the Church. The Catholic Church never opposed Brownson; she never placed an obstacle in his path; but this much cannot be said of many of her ministers in the United States. Brownson, however, always distinguished between the Church and her ministers, and Brownson always remained faithful. In another man—not a Catholic—this fidelity would have been called heroic devotion to principle. In Brownson’s case, this fidelity is not less heroic devotion to principle. The only difference between Brownson and the non-Catholic is this : in Brownson’s case the principle took the tangible form of the Catholic Church.
All the tenderness and simplicity beneath Brownson’s rugged nature is painted in one little extract from THE CONVERT:
“Lam no saint, never was, and never shall be a saint; I am not, and never shall be a great man; but I always had, and I trust I shall always have, the honor of being regarded by my friends and associates as impolitic; as rash, imprudent, and impracticable. I was and am, in my natural disposition, frank, truthful, straightforward, and earnest; and, therefore, have had, and, I doubt not, shall carry to the grave with me, the reputation of being reckless, ultra, a well-meaning man, but so fond of paradoxes and extremes, that he cannot be relied on, and is more likely to injure than serve the cause he espouses. So wise and prudent men shake their heads, when my name is mentioned, and disclaim all solidarity with me.”
MARION E. HOGAN.
I happen to know that most of the changes alleged are purely imaginary. I was born in a Protestant community, of Protestant parents, and was brought up, so far as I was brought up at all, a Presbyterian. At the age of twenty-one I passed from Presbyterianism to what is sometimes called Liberal Christianity, to which, I remained attached, at first under the form of Universalism, afterwards under that of Unitarianism, till the age of forty-one, when I had the happiness of being received into the Catholic Church. Here is the sum total of my changes. I, no doubt, experienced difficulties in defending the doctrines I professed, and I shifted my ground of defence more than once, but not the doctrines themselves. .
“Conviction, not desperation, led me into the Church, and I.have found a thousand times more than I. expected. It is true, in my youth and early manhood I held and published views very different from those set forth in this volume, and this fact will have its weight against whatever I may now say. But it is no crime to grow wiser with years, and to profit by experience or by the grace of God. The deliberate convictions of a man of mature age are worth more than the crude speculations of impetuous and inexperienced youth. But there is nothing in these essays and reviews that rests on my personal authority; they are to be taken for what they are worth, without any reference to the much or little respect due to their author.”
The real character of the man, rugged and sterling, appears most evidently in his fidelity to the Church, in spite of all the opposition of those, who are too easily identified with the Church. The Catholic Church never opposed Brownson; she never placed an obstacle in his path; but this much cannot be said of many of her ministers in the United States. Brownson, however, always distinguished between the Church and her ministers, and Brownson always remained faithful. In another man—not a Catholic—this fidelity would have been called heroic devotion to principle. In Brownson’s case, this fidelity is not less heroic devotion to principle. The only difference between Brownson and the non-Catholic is this : in Brownson’s case the principle took the tangible form of the Catholic Church.
All the tenderness and simplicity beneath Brownson’s rugged nature is painted in one little extract from THE CONVERT:
“Lam no saint, never was, and never shall be a saint; I am not, and never shall be a great man; but I always had, and I trust I shall always have, the honor of being regarded by my friends and associates as impolitic; as rash, imprudent, and impracticable. I was and am, in my natural disposition, frank, truthful, straightforward, and earnest; and, therefore, have had, and, I doubt not, shall carry to the grave with me, the reputation of being reckless, ultra, a well-meaning man, but so fond of paradoxes and extremes, that he cannot be relied on, and is more likely to injure than serve the cause he espouses. So wise and prudent men shake their heads, when my name is mentioned, and disclaim all solidarity with me.”
MARION E. HOGAN.
Repository
Special Collections and Archives, DePaul University Library, Chicago IL 60614 USA; http://library.depaul.edu
